Five Months (Redone)
by Dagger-Flints
Summary: Laughter, tears, smiles, and the works. I thought things had changed, but honestly, with all the cheesiness with it, it was me who turned around. SaixOC, please R&R
1. Chapter 1

_**Five Months (Redone)**_

_Chapter One_

Being alone isn't all bad.

No one would ever know if you said something stupid, or did something stupid, because there would be no witness. This was more than acceptable to me, since I did a lot- I repeat, a_ lot_ of stupid bullshit.

The silence as I sat on the wall that was slowly trying to lure me to sleep, and that wasn't a good idea. So, in order to distract myself, I pulled out a pack of cigarettes and stuck one in between my teeth, flipping a lighter open and lighting it. After a long draw, I released the smoke from my mouth.

"Aw, jeez."

Who the hell was I kidding? Being alone sucked. It sucked big time. I was getting bored and no one was there to entertain me, at least.

I got off of the wall and dragged my hair over my shoulder, watching as it clumped down against my right side. Ugly. Bleh.

Durnig was in the dead of summer, and that meant the smells were particularly bad. There was the scent of campfire, a pleasant one, but it was mixed with cigarette smoke and fancy wines people drank by the bottle just to puke up again. I suppose I shouldn't complain about the smokey smell though. Ashes from my little roll of guilt had joined others' in the streets.

I tapped extra ashes from the cig and raised it again. Home was not too far now, so I took one last draw and let the thing drop, stepping on it.

I opened the door to the house, stepping inside. It was dark in the kitchen to my left, but the right side doorway still had the lights on. I stepped towards the fridge, opening it. Nothing too good lay inside, so I shut it again and went to the front room.

"Hey Ren."

Leaning over a paper and writing scratchily was a blond man, ducked over the desk. I was finding him like this more and more as of late.

"Hey Brea," he replied, leaning back. He turned around in the chair, smiling. His dark green eyes danced with lightness.

"Whatcha working on?"

Ren's lips slightly parted as he smiled, giving him an almost mischievous look- "almost" because if his life depended on him doing something involving mischief, he would lose it. "It's just a small surprise for you."

"What? Am I in trouble?" My stomach began churning. I didn't know what I did wrong, aside from smoking outside the "age limit", but stuff like that really didn't matter.

"Oh, no. This is actually a good opportunity. You'll love it."

"What is it?" I asked, wishing that he would just tell me.

"I'm not allowed to say."

"According to who?"

He stayed silent and I sighed, noticing he was still smiling. He looked proud and almost triumphant, something I rarely saw. Well... If he was good about it, it couldn't be too bad. I sighed and decided to drop it, going over and adjusting a picture on the wall. It was part of a small group of different photos, and depicted a pretty redhead with Durnig's warpaint and Ren, hugging each other and grinning.

"How do you think Kaede is doing?" I asked him, letting the frame go.

His voice held a tinge of sadness and a spice of hope as he answered. "I don't know. But she always did make the best of any situation. Maybe she's happy."

"Yeah..." I wasn't sure what else to say to that and hoped that I hadn't made a stupid mistake in asking.

"Anyway, you're home early."

"Oh, yeah, um, Himitsu was busy, and apparently so was everyone else, so it was called off. I decided to take some alone time."

"Ah." The slightly dampened merriment in his gaze fell completely. "Did you smoke?"

_Just go ahead and lie. Say that you're definitely better._

"Yeah, I had one," I admitted. Goddammit, the whole reason I'd started the smoking was because Himitsu had insisted I try to be more of a bad girl type, yet I couldn't lie about it. No point in being all bad anymore, fucking hell.

"Ah, Brea," he sighed, closing his eyes. "We talked about this."

"I know, I know, it's just really, really hard to quit a-and, y'know, it's _tough_," I defended myself. _I shouldn't have started._

"Well..." He rubbed his temple. "I suppose it is better. But still, just a little more, okay? Try a little harder."

"I will," I assured him readily. Shrugging off the vest, I left it over the chair, making the little bump of the rectangle box face him, as a kind of contract sign. I wouldn't smoke any more tonight.

"Thank you." His smile came back and I could help but give him one in return.

"So... I'm tired. I think I'll head upstairs for some rest."

"Alright then. I'll be up in maybe an hour, so if you hear something then, it's just me."

"Yup. 'Night then."

"Goodnight."

I headed upstairs towards my room, opening the door and kicking some dirty clothes out of the way. Once I somewhat cleared a path to the bed, I pulled off my clothes and grabbed a plain camisole and shorts. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was asleep.

"Rise and shine!"

My hands flew to my eyes as grey sunlight hit them. A groan from my chest mixed with a big yawn, combining into a sound out of a monster movie.

"Whoa, what the hell was that?"

"I don't know," I whined, sitting up with tightly shut eyes. I groped for the covers, scowling. Laughter hit my ear, soft.

"Wait," the boy purred. "Let me get in there."

"Fuck off, Mitsu."

He laughed and threw the covers over me. I laid facedown on the mattress, wrapping the blanket around me.

"I can't let you sleep though."

"It's early!" I protested.

"It's eight twenty-four, Brea," he chuckled. I could practically see the smirk crossing his lips.

"Bleh."

"Here, wanna smoke?"

Terribly, that was the only thing that would motivate me enough to raise the covers. Himitsu smiled, blue eyes glowing.

"What brand?"

"Your favorite."

I was going to take the pack, but drew my hand back halfway there and I sighed.

"What?" he asked, looking confused. "Did you decide you don't like these anymore?"

"No, it's just... I can't. Ren caught me again last night, a-"

"Oh, c'mon."

"I'm sorry, but to be honest, it's not a big deal."

"You're such a baby. Seriously," he sighed, slipping the pack into his pocket.

"I am not," I muttered, and then sighed. Himitsu rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, are you all packed up?"

"Packed...?"

He looked at me in slight disbelief before his expression turned amused.

"Ren didn't tell you?"

"Tell me...?" I was getting annoyed at these secrets.

"You're moving up in the world, darling. We're shipping you off to Konoha."

**Goddammiiiit... I need to stop rewriting this goddamn fic. I'll never get anywhere with it otherwise! DX**

**Anywho... Did I say free hour to write? I meant free hour to do homework... Eheh... **

**It's been awhile, so erase everything you've read about Brea from your mind. She's different now. I'm in my World History class, trying not to fall asleep. Meehhh.**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Five Months (Redone)_**

_Chapter Two_

"C'mon."

"No."

"_C'mon_."

"I'm not going."

Himitsu threw an exasperated look at Ren, who let out a slow, patient sigh. "I thought you would be excited. This is a great oppurtuni-"

"Opportunity?! This is dumb!" I crossed my arms, throwing a pointed look at Himitsu. "You can't make me."

"Actually, I can, and I am. Get packed," he said in a sickly sweet, **sarcastic** voice that I hated. And when I say hated, I mean really _fucking_ hated.

"Ren-"

"It's not going to be forever, Brea," he said, rubbing his temple. "You go in for six months, then you leave."

"If this makes you feel any better, it was Ren's idea," Himitsu added.

"Well... Well... You're an asshole, Mitsu."

Then I rose and left the two men in the front room. Whoopidy-doo, off I went. Goddammit. If Ren hadn't been the one doing this, I wouldn't be going. It was as simple as that.

"Fucking goddamn stupid-ass damn..." I kept muttering a slew of my favorite curses as I walked off, crossing my arms. My room was open from when I'd rushed out twenty minutes earlier, and I stormed in uninterrupted.

I pushed my way into my closet, pulling out my barely used suitcase. I opened the latches, but the double handle was tied together by a tag.

Scratch barely used, I meant brand new.

"Brea, we already have a bag packed for you. You don't need much," Himitsu said from the doorway.

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

"Look, I know you're unhappy, though I can't figure out why. If I was in your position, I'd be ecstatic to go."

Please, Sir. Keep the guilt trip coming.

"I'd want to have all the experiences I can..."

May I have another?

"... before I go off to battle, risking my life."

"I'm _sorry_, okay?" I muttered, with less venom then I'd wanted in my voice. I knew Himitsu was going to be going to battle soon, within four months maybe. If I could, I'd gladly let him take this experience.

"Not exactly the apology I was looking for." His voice managed to be demanding and gentle at the same time, with just a pinch of seductiveness.

"I'm not..." I lowered my voice to a whisper, "kissing you again, okay? That was a one time thing."

"Awwww, but Brea~" He was chuckling now, and I rolled my **eyes,** hoping Ren didn't hear that. Himitsu had gotten me hooked on smoking, but he'd only ever convinced me to drink once. And that once, I got completely and utterly drunk. It almost horrified me that his probably weren't the only lips I kissed.

"No. I gave you your apology, it's cool."

His blue eyes lit up as they detected what they thought was a challenge, but they were dampened when we heard footsteps. Hell yeah, I'd won.

Ren appeared in the doorway, beside Himitsu, who'd stepped more to the right. "We leave tomorrow, I think that's enough time to practice chakra control and manipulation. You okay with that?"

"Yeah. You gonna come with?"

"Yep. Himitsu-san?"

I grimaced. Maybe it had been too long since I'd called him with an honorific, but every time Ren did, it sounded almost... sarcastic.

It didn't bother Himitsu, though, and he said, "No. Father's called me for something. Also, if you must use an honorific, use "sama"."

With that, he left, leaving me wincing on the inside. Ohhh boy, that wasn't good.

Ren threw a smile at me, shrugging Himitsu off completely. My brother was usually very calm, very mature, but Himitsu struck a nerve once in awhile.

"Shall we get ready and go? Mirio's waiting for us."

"Why do we have to train outside?"

"Because I said."

"It's chilly!"

"Indeed. I made it chilly, just for you."

"I fucking knew it," I sighed.

Mirio crossed his arms, quirking a greying eyebrow at me. He looked younger than his age- fifty-four, if anyone cared- but it was starting to get to him. He didn't train when it required high movement like he had ten months ago, and he always seemed tired.

"Are you okay, Mirio?"

"I'm never okay."

"That explains a lot, actually."

"Okay, remember the hand sign I taught you, what... Eight years ago?"

I fitted my hands together clumsily, and he reached over and adjusted the sign. "Good. Anyway, I had a check-up recently."

"Oh yeah? How recently?"

"Two days ago. Now, try guiding all of your energy towards your feet." He watched me with steady black eyes. His left one was starting to glaze over with blindness.

"How do I do that?" I questioned, standing there while holding the sign. Durnig wasn't known for chakra-users, we weren't shinobi.

"Imagine all the blood in your body rushing down to your feet."

Oh fuck, that didn't sound... healthy. But it worked, as my feet started to glow blue.

"What'd they say?"

"Blood pressure is 140 over 90."

I grimaced. I wasn't sure what it meant, but it couldn't be healthy.

"When she told me that, I had to ask her what the hell that meant."

A snort escaped me. "Goddammit Mirio, you need to figure that out."

"Yeah, she said it wasn't good. I want you to try walking on the tree."

Slowly, I went over and stepped on the tree, holding the hand sign for dear life. Once my second foot was secure and I was parallel to the ground, he instructed me to keep walking up.

"So, the nurse says she needs to ask me some questions."

"Oh yeah? Ah-!" I wobbled a little. Jeez, this wasn't good.

"You're okay, I'll catch you if you fall. Hopefully. Anyway, yep. So the first question she asks me is, 'Are you depressed?' My response was 'You just told me I'm dying, of course I'm depressed.'"

I laughed, a little out of humor and a little out of terror. Heights, any that weren't ground level, scared me.

"What'd she ask next?"

"You're doing good. The next question was 'Are you suicidal?' 'Well, not anymore.'"

That sent me into another small fit of laughter. I was getting higher up the tree and was pretty sure I was going to die.

"I don't think it's that bad."

"I like to think ahead. It could get worse."

"Nah. Just stop-"

Something happened, I don't know what, and I fell. It wasn't a big tree, but the fall frightened me into a shocked silence. And, as kind of promised, he caught me.

"... I really hate that," I said, surprised my voice came out somewhat strong.

"You did well. I just think your body stopped, because it didn't like the sensation. You should use chakra more," he replied, setting me down on my feet.

"I've never had a reason to before now," I pointed out, stomping the ground twice to make sure it was there.

"Well, hopefully after you're thrown into the world of chakra, it'll become second nature."

_Yeah right._

"Hopefully," I mumbled instead.

"Anyway, try it on the water over there. It shouldn't be too hard. I'm going to check Ren and see if he's finished Lyrie's checkup."

"Check-? Oh, that's right." I redid the hand sign. "She's pregnant. I forgot."

"How do you just forget something like that?"

"She's not even showing, gimme a break."

Well, at the end of the day, I'd fallen into the freezing pond seven times, gotten mad and stormed off to smoke two cigarettes, then felt guilty about it afterwards and headed home to apologize, disposing of the mostly full box on the way.

Shockingly, Ren wasn't home. If I had to guess, he'd probably stayed to work on his medical ninjutsu. I left the front door unlocked and headed up to my room, not looking forward to the next day at all. It was going to suck.

**I can hear the reviews now.**

**"This chapter has nothing to do with the story!"**

**Yes, it does. The plot, no, but the characters, who are perhaps the biggest part of the story.**

**Mirio is highly based off of a mix of my own teachers. He's one of my favorite characters in the whole thing. I hope everyone likes him as much as I do. :) **

**Anywho, hopefully people liked the chapter. Next one, our protagonist does more stuff and says more things. Yay!**

**Personally? I'm thinking of posting another fanfiction with drabbles related to this, to get a feel for the characters' backstories and maybe parts of the story in another's view. Smooch smooch, zuu-zuu, I love you, and I don't want to take my test in History ever.**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Five_** **_Months_**

_Chapter_ _Three_

Konoha was beautiful.

It was the first thing I noticed. Crisp, clean air, beautiful green forests surrounding it, hell, even the people were beautiful. I was both envious and awed, shocked that I was to live here and not looking forward to it at the same time.

Ren was with me and gently laid his hand on my upper back, guiding me along as we both observed. I think he felt out of place, just like me. I jumped when a huge white dog came sprinting by, a boy on his back. "C'mon Akamaru! I heard Naruto's back!"

"Oh goodie," I mumbled. "Hopefully other people watch where they're going."

"So far, they seem to be good people," Ren pointed out.

"So far," I agreed halfheartedly. I hadn't really talked to many people yet, and I was a bit wary of them. Just because they looked attractive didn't mean they were nice.

The people showed little interest in the two total strangers that headed into their village. I guess that made sense, Konoha looked like it attracted many more strangers than Durnig did. Me, however, I just wanted to touch everything. I can't explain this fascination I felt, and I could tell Ren was pretty impressed as well.

"There's the Hokage's building," he said quietly. I nodded in agreement, like I was cool. Like I could handle this.

_I'm_ _so_ _dead_.

I'd just finished that thought when I noticed the mountain.

"Holy shit," I gasped, wanting to yell it but not daring. "Did they _carve_ those faces into that thing?!"

Ren stopped beside me and we stared. Five different faces adorned the mountainside, each wearing a determined and almost heroic expression. Immediately, I felt respect for each and every one of them. They must've been something great to have this happen.

"Um, c'mon," he said eventually. We must've looked crazy, just standing there, so I followed him without complaining. The Hokage's building was huge and stood just as gloriously as the mountain, and it was just as pretty on the inside.

Ren and I headed upstairs, following the circular staircase. This led us to the roof, where we concluded we'd gone too far and headed back down. The view would've been nice if the building wasn't so damn tall.

So, because this building was so big and there was no one around, we had to search every single floor. We did manage to run into three people, one who was too busy to possibly help us out, and two who gave us very conflicting directions. When we finally found the damned office, we were running ten minutes late and I was pissed. I blew the tip of the iceberg off with some deep breaths, but it didn't help all that much.

Ren was frustrated as well, but he only let it show at the tip of his ears, which were stained red. He tried for the door handle, but I grasped it and turned it before he could get ahold of it, only to be met with a head to my face.

"Ow," I squeaked, rubbing my sore nose. Ren didn't say much of anything, but he did gently take my arms and move me aside.

The woman who'd run into me had already recovered from what damage I'd inflicted on her and was apologizing over and over, even as she rushed out the door. By the time I could make sense of what was happening and forgive her, she was gone.

"Yeah... Well..."

A short clearing of the throat brought my attention to the other end of the room. There, a woman was giving a no-bullshit business look, and, though she didn't look very old nor powerful, I knew she had complete authority. Not that I minded- I was no leader and, honestly, I needed all the leadership I could get if I was to survive till I was seventeen. Was seventy-seven too many days to count down to something? Yeah? Yeah...

"So, you're Brea," she said. "You're late."

Oh really? Maybe if your building wasn't a _fucking_ _labyrinth_, we'd of been here on time.

Ren covered for me, just barely.

"Our apologies, Milady," he said, bowing. "We got a little lost. I'm Usilida Ren."

Her glare lessened a little, which didn't surprise me in the least. Ren was better with older people, with people in general actually. He grew on people enough to have even the people most filled with hate at least tolerate him.

I bowed myself. "Usilida Brea," I mumbled, though I knew she already knew that.

"You're excused," she sighed. "Anyway, do you know anything about your nature affinity?"

Five seconds of silence passed before I realized she was talking to me, and two more before I could guess at an answer.

"Uh, female?"

Beside me, Ren snorted and tried to contain himself, half managing. "Um, Brea, she meant what element your chakra bends to."

"Oh. Um, I don't use jutsus," I replied sheepishly, hurting myself very badly mentally. What was I thinking? Gender affinity? Why would she ask that?

"That's fine. How's your chakra control?"

"I um, it's, uh, it's... I can use it," I tried. "To walk on trees and water and stuff, for a little while."

"Hm." She didn't sound very impressed, but I guess that was okay. I don't think I'm very impressive as a whole, and that was where I wanted to stay.

The rest of the meeting was me getting the keys to my own apartment. That was a little intimidating to me, I'd never lived on my own before, ignoring the two days Ren had to go and get Mom because he was concerned.

I was given directions, told to meet the team I'd be working with in an hour, also with directions, and was ushered out the door. All in all, it went not good but not too bad.

I was pretty okay, starting to build my confidence up little by little, when Ren and I both remembered he had to return home.

"Sorry," he apologized softly. "I'm really sorry, Brea. I'll be back though, okay?"

I was trying to stop my throat from tightening up, but I nodded. "'Sokay," I mumbled. "I'll be fine."

Ren smiled at me. "I know. I know.. Be good and remember- assertive, not aggressive."

"Right." Riiiiiight...

So I found my way to my new barren apartment, glancing reproachfully at everyone around me. It was just after noon and I was hungry, so I stopped and pulled out a small wallet- I refuse to call it a purse- then proceeded to the nearest food stand. It was pretty thin, but about average for Durnig standards. I hadn't expected things to cost so much more in Konoha.

Almost flinching, I forked the money over and accepted some anpan instead of the big sandwich I'd had my eye on. However, walking away and taking my first bite was heaven.

I hadn't realized that anpan could taste this good bought, the only thing that rivaled the sweet bread here was when Ren baked some. I finished it sooner that I had wanted and immediately wanted to go back for another one, regardless of cost. But, I was lazy and almost at the apartment, so I just went inside instead.

The flat was indeed tiny, but hey, it came with a fridge and a bed. That's all I needed to be happy. I explored, finding a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a front room. It was small, but it was mine. I could live with this. Yup..

Being alone wasn't all that bad...

After exploring, I still had a good forty-five minutes, so I set my pack down and began to browse through the clothes. I lightened it up some and went to the bathroom, smoothing my hair back and flinching when it tickled my waist. I decided to hack it off first thing when I got back. Mom wouldn't be happy, but she wasn't here.

I cleaned myself up a little and tightened the metal armor that was on me. I liked armor, but this constant nervous murmur in my stomach kept saying it would be a bitch to deal with on this mission.

Coughing to myself, I sheathed twin daggers and smoothed down my grey shirt. Hopefully my team wouldn't be mean or something horrible like that.

Then I moved, heading out the door. Through a crowd of people and into sunlight. After one of two turn-arounds and a promised cigarette for myself later, I found the place. A blond boy and pink-haired girl were standing there, looking like they were chatting. I gulped and reminded myself to be "assertive" and not "aggressive".

"No kidding?" the girl asked, seeming surprised.

"Nope, it hap-"

He paused and turned to me. I ceased walking immediately and we kinda just stared at each other.

"... Hi," I tried uneasily. "You don't happen to be, um, shinabo- chinu- _shinobi_, right?" I recovered, cursing my clumsy tongue.

"Yeah, we're meeting our new team members here," the girl said, seeming relatively more helpful than the boy.

"Oh, what a coincidence. So am I."

She blinked. "Oh! It's nice to-"

We all paused as another boy stepped into the sun. He seemed the exact opposite of blondie- pale as snow and with dark hair and eyes.

Blondie, I guess, decided he didn't like that very much.

"_You_!" he shouted, pointing at the boy with a glare.

"N-Naruto, do you know him?" the girl asked, with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes! He attacked me!"

Oh. Well, he's kind of a jerk then.

I was about to say something, scold him for just attack people or something when Naruto let a small knife out of his sleeve and held it firmly while his alter-ego reached for a tanto.

Me, I was already getting ready to explain this wasn't my fault.

**Okay, okay . You got me. I am a teensy tiny bit disappointed about the lack of anything on this story. I mean, people are reading it but only one follow so far.**

** Got that off my chest, and I know Naruto just ended and this is a Naruto fanfic, so... I get it. But, I don't bite. I'm actually quite friendly. ^^**

**Anywho, this chapter, our protagonist did indeed say more stuff and do more things. Next chapter, she will try to convince that two stubborn teenage boys beating the stuffing out of each other is absolutely not her fault.**

**Personal note-**

**Tumblr is so confusing. Like really. I've just barely figured it out. In History after my test, it was super duper. I think when I go home I shall sleep, but for now, just start chapter four. Yey!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Five Months (Redone)**_

_Chapter Four_

"Knock it off, Naruto-kun," someone commanded before the boys could continue with the fight, or I could finish thinking up an explanation.

The blond boy paused, blinking several times as he noticed a man with shaggy brown hair appear. He looked like the type who never got enough sleep and who had a bad habit weighing them down. I almost immediately liked him.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, loosening his posture a little. His armed hand lowered slightly, while the other boy still had a firm hold of his weapon.

"Wait... You wouldn't be...?"

The man nodded and I was, again, driven crazy. He wouldn't be _what_?

"I'll be your replacement captain while Kakashi-senpai is in the hospital," he said, and I felt a bit of relief blow out of my chest. I finally knew something about this team!

"And as for him, he'll be part of the team."

I glanced at the pale boy, giving him a quick look over. I promise that my eyes didn't stray on his abs, yum. I didn't mind having him along...

"A team? With _him_?" Oh, give him a break, he's attractive!

"Sorry about earlier," Attractive said with a smile. He let go of his weapon and straightened up, allowing the grossly fake smile to spread even more. Meh, I could do without the smile, it was so obvious he was being sarcastic. "I just wanted to test your strength."

"Oh." Naruto let the small knife slide back into his sleeve, standing straight as well. "You didn't have to go that far."

Attractive's smile grew.

"Thanks to that, I learned that you are a useless, dickless pantywaist."

I think four full seconds passed before I realized what he had said, and my teeth clamped down roughly on my bottom lip. I suck my cheeks in and tried, desperately, to not show how hard I was laughing.

Naruto didn't help the matter, and he went forward with the intention to kill. This only made me laugh harder for some reason, and I honestly wouldn't have minded watching the two wrestle and fight, knowing I was free of blame and to watch.

The pinkette ruined it, grabbing ahold of Naruto and holding him back. "N-Naruto, calm down," she muttered, grunting slightly as he squirmed in her arms. She then fixated her eyes on Attractive, giving him a half-stern, half-wary look.

"And you, that wasn't very nice. You shouldn't be such a jerk."

As much as I wanted to be disappointed about missing out on the show, I had to agree. Attractive was kinda a dick.

"Oh?" Attractive let out a small laugh. "But I like ugly girls like you."

I glanced at Pinky, whose lips were in a little 'o' shape. I'd barely blinked when she threw herself forward with the intent to kill. I slightly stepped back, eyeing the scene as the replacement leader grabbed ahold of the girl. She was yelling something about Attractive being an asshole when he spoke up.

"Sakura! Remember what you just told Naruto!"

She let out an angry, hissy breath between her teeth as she began to settle down. Attractive turned his gaze to me, using dark eyes to scan me up and down. The eldest of the group sprung to action before any more damage could be done.

"Let's just... get to introductions."

Attractive moved to stand between me and Sakura, gaining three wary glances as he did so. Our leader rubbed his temple, frowning a little. "Why don't we get started?"

Naruto snorted, lips curled into a slight snarl as he regarded Attractive. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura was next, and she scowled at the boy next to me. "Haruno Sakura."

The smile only seemed to grow on Attractive's face. "You can call me Sai."

Sai, huh? Kinda plain, if you ask me. Oh well, he didn't choose it.

"Usilida Brea," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm Yamato, your captain."

He cleared his throat and sighed, letting his hands drop to his side. "Anyway, our plan is to head to the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, where we will meet Sasori's spy."

I could hear both Sakura and Naruto gulp, and eyed Sai out of the corner of my eye. He had the most serious of expressions on his face.

I turned my eyes back forward, listening as Yamato said something about how the spy was important, some guy named Sasuke that had a weird effect on Naruto and Sakura, and the meeting time.

Once he was finished, he disappeared in some sort of smoke cloud and I gaped at the spot where he'd stood. Once I was aware I probably looked like an idiot, I carefully shut my mouth and proceeded to look at the rest of them.

"I guess I'll see you all later then."

They nodded and, with a turn of my heel, I was headed back towards the apartment. Doing my best to retrace the path taken was the right course of action, and I made it there in more or less five minutes. As I opened the front door, I glanced behind myself and jumped, hitting the side of my head against the door. "Good Lord," escaped my mouth and I pressed one of my hands to my racing heart.

Sai stood there, head slightly tilted and expression blank as he watched me try to pull myself together. It took me a few moments to completely register that he was there, and I sucked in a deep breath.

"Why are you following me?" The words came out a little nicer than I expected, but they got the point across just fine.

"This is the building my apartment is located at," he replied. "And I would assume you reside here as well."

"I… umm…" I kicked myself and nodded. "Yeah. I do."

After that, he silently brushed past me, seeming to be done with the conversation. I turned, letting the door shut, following him through the lobby to the staircase. After we reached the second floor, I let out a small laugh.

"Lobby's kinda tacky, don't you think?"

Silence from up ahead. I sucked in my cheeks and bit them, knowing that this was a tough crowd. We rounded up to the not-very-tall second floor, him still pretty mute and me feeling more and more insecure in my ability to make friends.

His apartment was right across from mine, and from the peek I got inside, seemed pretty similar. I turned the handle to mine and glanced back at Sai.

"See ya later, um, Bud," I tried with a very fake cheerful tone.

That was the only time he glanced back at me, his expression somehow blank and asking 'what the absolute _fuck_' at the same time.

I threw myself into the apartment, holding my chest and trying not to hit myself on the forehead. Okay, note to self- do _not_ attempt friendship with anti-social people in Konoha. They don't like it at all.

Pushing off of the door I'd had to lean against, I looked around the apartment. Barely had time to settle in and I was already being shoved out the door. Oh, well. Might as well just get this whole thing over and done with.

* * *

><p><strong> Well hello Lovelies!<strong>

** How's your day going so far? I hope life's been good to you.**

** I'm not gonna lie, it hasn't been the easiest on me these last couple of months, but I think it'll get better despite the bad day I'm having. **

** But, you know what? Finally we get Brea back. XD Unfortunately, Sai and Naruto never fought in the Canon anime, so Brea didn't have to stumble her way out of this one, which I would've loved to see. Also, I got a laptop and Microsoft Word! Hell yeah! Now, gonna start Chapter Five and maybe my essay for World History. **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Five Months (Redone)**_

_Chapter Five_

"Hey there," I greeted Naruto and Sakura as I headed up to the gate. My hair had been forced into a very messy, very uncomfortable bun at the base of my neck. I reached up to rub the hair being pulled taunt as Sakura said hello back and Naruto nodded at me. We fell into silence, an uncomfortable one for me. I couldn't read them well enough to tell if they liked me or not.

_Oh, shut up. You've just had one meeting with them. _

A sigh escaped me and I leaned against the wooden pillar holding the gate up. Oh, God, I needed a cigarette. A moment to relax and calm my addiction. Buuut.. sticking a cancer stick between my teeth and lighting it up might not leave the best impression.

Yamato, thankfully, joined, and Sai shortly after. The two teens turned glares on him and I gave myself a mental high-five. They didn't hate me as much as the hated Sai! Well, it never took much to make me happy.

"Right," sighed our captain, giving us a once-over before turning around. "We're in and we're out. Let's go."

The trip started out, and it was mindless at first, trudging along the beaten dirt path. Soon, though, I grew bored and tried to decipher my teammates' moods. It wasn't easy, considering I was behind them. Still, I observed them, raising my eyebrows slightly in surprise when Sai turned his head towards Naruto.

"What is it?"

Naruto didn't respond and dug his hands deeper into his pockets.

Sai tilted his head so he could see the orange-wearing shinobi better. "Please stop staring at me like that… or I'll have to smack you."

_Damn, Sai's an asshole. _I crinkled my nose in slight distaste as Naruto held up a shaking fist at the insulter.

"Every time you open your mouth, you piss me off!" he snapped, with good reason.

Sai turned his head back away, walking normally. "Don't take it personally," he said smoothly.

"Yeah, right!"

I would've pointed out that it _wasn't_ personal, that maybe it was just how Sai was, but nah. Pick and choose your battles carefully, as Mirio always says.

"I just choose to portray myself in that way." Jeez, this guy needed to teach me how to deal with pissed off people. Maybe it'd be best to join his side and gain his trust.

"Portraying yourself?" mumbled Sakura, ahead of me.

"That's what makes it personal!"

_Please explain the logic behind that, Naruto. _Maybe I wasn't following the conversation closely enough.

Sai ignored that, and Naruto stopped, letting out an angry growl from his chest. "That settles it! You don't deserve to be on this team!"

Oh, shit. We had to earn our place? Back to Naruto and Sakura's side.

This made Sai stop and glance at him, face still relatively blank. But, there was something that offered a challenge in the way he carried himself. Sakura came to a halt and I followed suit, crossing my arms over my chest again.

"You're the biggest asshole I've ever met," said Naruto with an air of annoyance and truth. He kept his glare trained on Sai.

Yamato finally noticed the ruckus, or decided he gave a damn enough to stop it, and glanced back at us. "Hey, Naruto, that's no way to talk around your new captain or teammates."

Oh, screw it. I was on Yamato's side.

"Teamwork and trust are the most important attributes to have right now. We need them to make this team work. I know Kakashi-san taught you that." Logical, explainable. I made the right choice.

"He's a good man," ended Yamato, "so I'm a little concerned about your attitude."

"It's because _he's _not a part of Team Kakashi!"

Ouch. I lost a little more confidence in myself for the "making friends" thing. I wasn't even a shinobi, how was this going to work out?

"He's just a replacement for Sasuke! I'll never accept him because of that!"

There was that name again… a friend who'd been kidnapped, maybe? And, again, ouch. I'm over here too, I'm even being nice and not smoking or anything!

"Good," Sai said, interrupting all thought and conversation. "I wouldn't want to be placed in the same group as a trashy little homo like that traitor."

_Oh. Oh, no. _

Naruto looked like he was going to kill him, so I took a step back, not ready to help any one of them. "You son of a-"

Before he could get into range of Sai's jugular, Sakura thrust an arm out in front of him. He looked just as surprised as I felt. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't her punching him six feet down at the moment.

"Teamwork is important," she echoed from Yamato's speech, lowering her arm once Naruto looked away. Her gaze met Sai's, sincerely sorry. "Sai, Naruto doesn't know you very well. He sometimes gets a little too angry. Please, forgive him."

Oh, wow. I wanted to applaud. Good job, Sakura! Maybe she was on Yamato's side, too.

"Oh, it's no problem," Sai replied, forcing another smile onto his face.

"Good," Sakura cooed, "I'm glad."

Remember when I said "sincerely sorry"? I take it back.

I didn't even see her punch him, but he went flying. And I mean _flying. _He landed on the ground and I flinched as I saw the mark on his cheek, stepping back from the puncher.

"I don't care if you don't forgive me," Sakura hissed at him, her lips curled into a snarl as she eyed him. "But if you insult Sasuke-kun again, I won't hold back."

Note to self- don't bad-mouth Sasuke, whoever the hell he is.

Sai rubbed his face with the heel of his palm before glancing up at her, meeting her gaze with an almost, but not quite, cocky smile crossing his lips.

Naruto seemed flabbergasted. "You just got knocked into next week! Why are you smiling?!"

Me, I glanced between the hot-head and Mr. Smiles, practically sweating. I felt lucky that this whole thing hadn't glanced my way even once. Sai was to thank for that one, I decided, and kept quiet while he explained something about fake smiles being used.

Yamato interrupted the little thing with a clap of his hands. Faster than I could blink, he fit handsigns together and A large wooden cage erupted right out of the ground.

"Listen here!" he yelled. "I could put you all in a cage to improve your teamwork for the night, or we could head to a hot springs town and resolve our issues peacefully. Your choice!"

I wanted to ask if I could go to the hot springs with him, since I was fairly innocent, but didn't push it. Besides, I wouldn't mind exploring the thing, either. It was fucking _awesome_. Could all shinobi just make things out of thin air?

I didn't get a chance, though, as the team decided on the hot springs and Yamato made it disappear. Man, I wanted to learn how to do that so badly. It just looked like the coolest thing ever.

We started off again, in silence and hardly looking at each other. I didn't know about the others, but my feelings had changed. I wasn't giddy with fear anymore.

Oh, no. This feeling was excitement.

* * *

><p><strong>Well this chapter came pretty fast. Guess I have more time. What History essay? Heh… Anywho, our protagonist finds the awesomeness of shinobi jutsus awesome. Excellent. Again, I'm at school during my study hall. Need ideas for a cover to this fanfic too, wouldn't mind getting some if you've got the time. ^^<strong>

**Have a great day, guys and gals.**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Five Months (Redone)**_

_Chapter Six_

_I'm crazy. Remember what happened when you tried to make friends with Sai?_

Sakura wasn't Sai. She was a girl, and she could be nice, even if she sometimes killed people with her fists. But that was normal, right? For shinobi to violently punch someone until they ceased breathing? I'd live, I was nice. And even if I wasn't nice, I was funny.

We had stopped in the hot springs town for the night, as promised, and Sakura and I were busy removing our clothes. Nothing says bonding than awkwardly trying not to look at each other naked.

"So, that was pretty cool," I commented to break the silence.

"Hm? What was?"

"Punching Sai. I think he deserved it," I mumbled truthfully. "I mean, I think so. He's a… jerk."

"Yeah…" Sakura sighed. "It felt good, I think. I'm a bit frustrated."

Not the whole truth, but she didn't seem upset. Or, at least not with me.

We headed out, where there were, oh _joy_, more girls. The water did feel pretty good, though, so I quickly forgot about them and settled in. Sakura seemed more relaxed too, and even gave me a smile.

I shifted low in the water, so low that my shoulders barely broke the surface. Sakura actually sat next to me.

"You don't seem to be from a shinobi country."

_Holy shit. Holy _shit. _Okay, wasn't expecting this, be cool._

"I'm not," I said with a shrug, relieved that I sounded more confident than I felt. "I guess Durnig's more of a samurai-based country. It's not even that big, actually. But, some people are trying their best to utilize chakra."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." I had raised my voice another inch and wasn't so soft spoken now. "They teach us the basics and stuff. My brother proved to be pretty good at it and now he's trying to learn medical ninjutsu. It's hard for him though, since nobody can help him too much."

"Maybe he should visit, too," Sakura mused, "then he could learn more."

I agreed it was a good idea and smiled, feeling better when she smiled back. Okay, my relationship with Sakura was positive at the moment. Fantastic.

Before I could start another conversation with her, we heard a familiar voice screeching from the male side of the wall.

"_DON'T _TALK_ ABOUT IT! WHAT'S WITH YOU AND PENISES?!"_

Sakura's face flared red with embarrassment so quickly that her head probably spun. I laughed a little at the comment and felt pretty bad afterwards. I'm sorry, but that's funny. Boys get so… defensive over that stuff.

"Yikes," I mumbled, trying to smooth it over as girls chorused in laughter around us. "That's, ah… That's…" How do you even comfort a girl over this?

"I swear, I'm going to kill him one of these days," she muttered.

"Yeah, yeah." _Okay, get her mind off of it, Brea._

"So, how does the shinobi system work?"

With blush still on her cheeks, Sakura explained it. By the end, she seemed to have calmed down and I had learned a bit. All in all, a win-win.

Getting in was a lot more fun than getting out. It was freezing compared to the water, but towels were close by, so relief. The inn provided comfortable kimonos to wear and we headed to the room Yamato had rented for us.

"It's really generous of the captain to do this," said Sakura with a grin. "These hot springs are excellent."

"Yeah," I gushed with her. Then I sighed, trying to cover up my growling stomach. "Wonder what's for dinner.

"Me too."

After that, we were pretty quiet, me watching the trees move and her reading a book. Sometimes she would make a comment or curse at a character in the story, and I would giggle a little bit. It didn't take long for someone to knock on the door.

Sakura glanced at me and I nodded. "Come in," she called.

A woman opened the sliding door that separated out room from the hallway.

"Excuse me. Your dinner is ready."

* * *

><p>Dinner wasn't a meal, it was a feast.<p>

There was everything there, from meat to veggies to rice to desserts. I thought I was going to faint. The way to my heart was definitely through my stomach, so Yamato just won it.

"Wow!" gaped Naruto. "Is… is this for _us?!_"

"Of course. Eat up," offered the man, a kind smile on his face.

I got stuck at the end of the table, to Yamato's right. Soon, everyone was digging into the meal. I think we were all too ravenous to speak at first, but soon enough, Naruto struck up a conversation with me. He turned out to be a lot nicer than I'd expected him to be.

"I thought we were totally toast then, but you know what? We weren't," he sighed to finish up his story- something crazy he and Sakura had been through together when they were younger. I appreciated it, it made me laugh a little on the inside. Plus, Naruto was just so… full of life. It was fun to watch him.

After the adventure of dinner was over and we all lay back, too tired to say anything, Yamato snapped us to attention.

"The point of us coming here tonight was to improve your teamwork. However, I don't want to talk about the mission until tomorrow."

"Are we staying in another hot springs town tomorrow, too?" Sakura looked overjoyed at the idea.

"Oh, no. That's not allowed with the budget I have."

Holy _damn_, this guy just fed three teenagers with his own money? Was he insane?! That was a recipe for bankruptcy.

Sakura exclaimed this out loud, and Naruto grinned.

"Wow, you're so generous! If this is how it's gonna be, I want Yamato-taichou to lead Team Kakashi forever!"

"Yeah, for sure!"

I smiled a little, silently adding my own consent.

* * *

><p>One breath in, one puff out.<p>

I pushed my hair back as I sat on a bench just outside the place we were staying. It was getting dark, so not many people were out, so I was glad. After two days of not smoking, I was feeling this clawing need to light one up and did so. Of course, I felt bad, but I just… ugh, I couldn't stand the thought of not having one any longer.

Thankfully, Sakura didn't question it when I said I needed some fresh air, so I was left alone for the moment. The last few days had been more eventful than every year of my life combined, and it was a little overwhelming. Oh, well. I'd live.

I put the cig out and headed back towards the building, hoping I didn't smell like smoke and making a mental note to talk to Yamato about my chakra issue. If anyone would be able to help me, it would have to be him.

* * *

><p><strong> Holy shit, I'm a goddamn beast. Two chapters in two consecutive days?!<strong>

** I hope you all enjoyed. So happy it's Friday right now. And hey, the new follower I got, you're awesome! Thanks, sunlightxiii, for the reviews. I'm glad people enjoy the story and will sit back and enjoy the journey.**

** I know it's a little boring right now, but I don't want to move too fast. That's usually a big no-no in the fanfiction world. Maybe I'll make next chapter a special and have it like double the usual length or something. Have a good day, all!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Special

_**Five Months (Redone)**_

_Chapter Seven – Special_

Sakura was up before me the next day.

I wasn't lazy, just tired. All this walking had taken a toll from me, since I hadn't gotten a chance to recover from my earlier trip. So, I would stubbornly lay in bed until I got bored.

Sakura left after she got done with what I assume was her morning technique and I sighed, turning to my back. I guess it didn't take much to bore me, so I got up, too. The armor was a bitch to put on, as always. I forced stiff limbs through the holes made for them and stretched.

Yikes, I hurt. Cracking my neck and flinching at the definitely not healthy sound it made, I began to make up my side of the room. Bedding and the comfortable kimono folded, I tugged my pack on and headed out the door.

The place was even prettier in broad daylight, I'll admit. Forget Konoha, I wanted to live _here_.

"Brea, good morning."

Aw, man! I was just about to go outside, too. Sighing, I glanced up at Yamato. "'Morning."

"You'll be outside soon enough," he assured, picking up on my most likely unhappy expression. "I just need to talk to you."

Uh-oh. That phrase was nothing good. Feeling a hot rush of guilt, I thought about my smoke last night. Oh God, I was gonna get it. He'd let Ren know, Ren would tell Mirio, Mirio would yell…

"How good is your chakra control?"

"… Oh. Um, it's fine, I guess. I mean, I can't use the, um, ninjutsu, which would be awesome, but I can control it enough to walk on water and trees or something." I explained, feeling relieved about not getting yelled at.

The good feeling was gone as soon as I saw the look on his face, though. His pleasant smile made way for a "well, that's disappointing" kinda look.

"Sorry?" I wasn't sure what else to say.

"It's not a huge problem. We can work on it, but there's something you should know."

"Hm?"

"Tsunade-sama had already asked for a replacement from Durnig should we ever need one. She wasn't expecting Sai to join."

Some nerves began to pile in my stomach. "That's, um…" _Sorry?_

"The team is slightly larger than normal. Which means, most likely, one of you will have to be removed." _Oh. Oh, shit._

"I-I get what you mean now," I said, "but I've had good behavior. I think Sakura and Naruto like me just fine. And, well, it obviously doesn't matter if Sai does."

Yamato said nothing, so I glanced up reproachfully. "I just got here, I kinda don't wanna leave. It's a good experience for me," I echoed off of Ren. I was pretty proud of how well I poker-faced my way through this one, because on the inside I was going bonkers.

_I just got here and was starting to like it! I was even on my way to making good friends! What the fuck?! This is total bullshit, Yamato, and you fucking know it too! You better put in a really good word for me. Make it an essay if you have to!_

"We'll see," he said eventually. "You might get lucky."

"I'm never lucky," I replied with a shrug.

"Hm. The only concern I have with you at the moment is the lack of chakra control, but that's something we can work on. And those cigarettes will do you no favors."

_God… dammit._ I thought I was hidden!

"Yes, sir," I mumbled, following him out of the door.

* * *

><p>Silence engulfed me most of the day. Yamato had scared Naruto and Sai had annoyed Sakura, but I couldn't find the humor in it. I was pretty damn sure good behavior didn't mean shit, and fighting skill did. That meant I was screwed.<p>

The captain did give me good practice with chakra control, though, and did take a look at my daggers. He said they were a bit heavy for shinobi, but were surprisingly good for chakra.

So, I practiced guiding chakra to one blade, then the other, getting surprised when they actually glowed blue and stopping. Yamato, to my left, would comment on that a lot.

"Don't worry, they're supposed to do that."

"They've never done that before, though."

"You've probably never tried this."

So, the day seemed to go by way to slow. I was exhausted quickly, due to chakra being way too hard for me to get it to stay.

Yamato did tell me I was doing pretty well, though, so yay. He let me take a small break and I pulled back, dropping among my peers.

"Brea, what're you working on up there beside Yamato-taichou?" Naruto nosed in.

"She told you last night, idiot. She's learning chakra control." Sakura's irritated sigh followed that statement.

"Yeah, they don't teach us much with chakra. Not many teachers are good at it."

"Oh. So you specialize in weaponry, then?"

"Most of us do. Some go into the medicinal field, and others just don't fight." I frowned a little, since this was the first time I'd bothered to think about this.

"Actually, scratch that. Most of us choose not to fight." _Probably why Durnig's hurting in the military department. _

"Hmm… "

I don't think Naruto actually had something to say, and the conversation continued on a different topic. I bit my tongue whenever I got the urge to ask who Sasuke was to them, knowing it was a touchy subject.

Sai was silent during this time, but I think he was watching us. Maybe eying my armor. I don't blame him, the thing was shiny and distracting.

I shook the thought of him looking at me off and sighed. _He's a rival now. No way you're gonna beat him, but you might as well give it your best shot._

* * *

><p>"Alright, here."<p>

Sakura and Naruto seemed just as unhappy as I looked. I'll admit, Konoha didn't have the best ideas when it came to sleeping. Just out in a field, where spiders could crawl into your mouth and eat your brain. Pleasant.

"What?! We shouldn't sleep out here, we could go back to the cave we just passed!"

No, Naruto, the spiders live in caves, too.

"Stand back, everyone," Yamato called, making all of us blink. We did all back up a few steps, and the captain did a few hand signs.

Then, lo and behold, a house grew itself spontaneously. Just, _pop_, right out of the ground. And, by God, it was better than my house back home.

"You- _Wha-_?"

Naruto let out a cheer and ran inside gleefully, followed by Sakura, Sai, and then a very awe-struck me.

The house was even better on the inside, with a bit of decoration and perfectly cut steps. Still dangerous, unfortunately, because I was still looking at everything and ended up tripping and bruising my shin.

Favoring the _very _injured leg, I walked up the rest of the steps and wandered into the room he'd set up for us. It was pretty empty, but, as Naruto said, "it beats sleeping outside". Fuck yeah it did.

I put my bag a polite distance away from Sakura's, ready for some rest after today. How exhausting it had been. I was almost asleep standing up.

"Alright, everyone," Yamato called before I could drift off. I almost ignored him, but remembered the rivalry and got closer when he sat down with a candle. When everyone was gathered around, he looked between us.

"Since last night was the one in which we relaxed, we need to formulate a plan tonight."

"Right," Sakura agreed.

Me, I was practically out of it, so the rest of the conversation about another person who I didn't know was basically lost to me.

"The best course of action," Yamato was saying when I zoned back in, "is going to be using the buddy system."

_Sounds great. Can we sleep now?_

"I'll decide the teams now. The first team will be Sakura and myself. The second… Naruto, Brea, and Sai."

_Great. Too sleepy to care._

"What?! Are you kidding?!"

Naruto was about to go on a full scale rampage when Yamato's eyes snapped to his. "Is something… the matter?"

The poor boy seemed speechless at first, and when he did speak, it was with a shaky and squeaky voice. "N-No sir!"

Sakura spoke up then. "Um, Yamato-taichou?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Naruto and I have been working together for a long time now… We know each other pretty well. I just think we'd work better together, you know?"

_I'm grouped with Sai then? Well… whatever. He can't go by himself_, I thought sleepily. Man, I was sick of this whole debate thing.

"Sakura, you're the only medical ninja on this team." Yamato looked dead serious. "We cannot allow you to get hurt, so you're with me."

Her eyes lowered in acceptance and I gave her props for trying.

"Anyway, all of you get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day."

* * *

><p>Naruto tensed beside me when he heard the bells and I tensed as well, trying to force my senses to their extreme. Sai seemed more calm than us, but we all three kept our eyes on the cloaked man slugging his way towards the bridge.<p>

Well, "man" may not be the best way to describe him, or it. I wasn't quite sure _what_ it was.

Still, _it _slid its way down to the bridge where a tall, broad figure stood. The blue cloak hid most of his features, even with the wind blowing all around us. They stood close to each other, maybe a few feet away, and Naruto tensed more.

Suddenly, _it _put its fist in the air, causing Naruto to shout, "The signal!" straight into my left ear.

_So much for surprise._

We leapt out anyways, me landing a bit behind the boys. I felt a smile begin to grow as I drew my daggers and leapt again. Adrenaline was rushing now, and I was ready for a fight.

"Get him!" Sakura yelled from behind me. I looked up, slightly narrowing my eyes as I saw Yamato abandon the cloak. Naruto dodged the cloth and went in for a kick to the captain's head.

After exchanging a few blows, Yamato quickly overthrew him and went to dispatch Sai. I dove in after Sai'd attempted a few hits and swiped with one dagger.

Yamato noticed, though, and kicked Sai away, raising an arm to grasp my wrist. Scowling, I forced him to release by swinging my other blade and leapt back, tightening my fists around the blades.

"C'mon, you can do better than that," he taunted. So I moved, throwing the knife and bursting forward as soon as his eyes moved. I expected to tackle him with the dagger to his throat, but his eyes snapped back to me suddenly.

Before I knew what was going on, I was behind him. Blinking in surprise, I twirled around, only to be met with wood tethering my limbs down.

"Fuck," I swore, hissing in agitation. Yaamto allowed himself a slight chuckle and smirk before turning to face Naruto and Sai. They had just made a medium-sized chakra sphere. Once I realized Sai had it in his hand, I paused and gaped. Man, _I_ wanted something like that!

Yamato slid back, doing to Sai the same thing he'd done to me. I grit my teeth in hope once Naruto tackled Yamato, though, grinning when he took him down. The grin did fade as one of Sai's snakes wrapped around Naruto, squeezing their bodies close.

_What the hell does that do? _Something seemed different though, like the air tasted different, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it.

"Oi! Sai!" squealed Naruto, looking very surprised. "What the hell?!"

What the hell indeed, friend.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" sighed Sakura, looking exasperated. "That's not Yamato-taichou!"

"What-?!"

He gaped when he looked back and realization hit us both that this was a clone. Oh. So that's what was different in the air.

"Goddamn… _Oi! Sai! Get back here and untie this snake!_"

* * *

><p>"Release."<p>

I whined a bit, annoyed it'd taken this long for Yamato to allow me back on my feet. My arms were a little scratched, and I rubbed them in agitation. Okay, jutsus were still pretty cool, but a bitch to deal with.

I was still a little off ways from the others, and Naruto seemed to be about to get into it with Sai. So, my interest in heading over there diminished quickly. Instead, I scooped up my daggers from the ground, checking the blades over.

"Good job," said Yamato, and I beamed at the praise. "You were definitely trained well in the weaponry area."

"Yeah, I have a good teacher," I gushed. God, I really needed to back off. Some praise shouldn't make me this happy.

"You may make a good addition to the team, then."

A bit of blush pricked my cheeks and I smiled in happiness. Aw man, this was fucking great.

"Let's head over there, now, shall we?"

Naruto had just pushed Sai away and looked at him like he was the largest cockroach in the world. "Whatever. I'm saving Sasuke with or without you."

Yikes. I glanced at Sai, hoping he wouldn't say anything.

Sai opened his mouth anyway.

"I wonder what Sasuke-kun would have done…" he trailed, seeming almost bored with the statement. "If you'd lost your cool and he was in the same situation. After all, you consider him a friend… don't you?"

Sakura's hand raised to her mouth and Yamato seemed ready to do his jutsu. I actually backed up a few steps, thinking that maybe they ought to let Naruto whack Sai just once, but knowing it wasn't my decision.

Naruto, who was over by the trees, was hissing low under his breath. His fist clenched and unclenched, over and over. It was completely silent in our area.

"I'll do anything to save my friends," said Naruto finally. "Even… work with you."

And the conversation was over.

Feeling out of place, I headed over and gathered my things. The drama here, while absolutely fascinating, was also very personal. I didn't even know who Sasuke was yet, really. I mean, I could've met the guy already and never have known it. Hefting the backpack onto my shoulders, I rubbed the sore base of my neck and started to pass Sai and Sakura.

"Ah, yes," Sai said simply when I was almost beside him. "My brother's already dead."

My stomach dropped three feet and tightened into a little ball. My throat closed up and I looked at the boy so quickly, my head spun. For me, "brother" and "dead" should never be in the same sentence. That was… Oh God.

I felt the deepest for Sai right then and there. Wow, losing a sibling at around my age? That… sucks. No wonder he was such an ass.

"Maybe I should have tried to look like that?" he said simply, glancing to Naruto, who looked like he couldn't be sadder.

"What..?" Sakura didn't seem to know how to respond.

"Well, when my brother died, I wasn't sure what kind of sound I was supposed to make."

My feelings changed in a split second and I felt empathy for Naruto instead. I wasn't sure what to make of Sai anymore. Scowling, I brushed past him just in time to hear Naruto say that we should keep going.

* * *

><p><strong>So so so so soooo this story just got another follower. OfMiceAndBears, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Also,<strong> **Morietachibana, I can't remember if I thanked you either. **

**Sorry if this arc seems too rushed, but this is my fifth or sixth time rewriting this stupid thing and I just can't with this mission. It frankly annoys me to write it now.**

** But, whatever. I'll live. I can't wait to get out of this arc though. I hope everyone liked this glimpse into Brea's fighting not-skills. Thanks so much for following, favoriting, or reviewing the story.**

** On a personal note, we're learning art words in Spanish, so my teacher made us do an art project to make a museum. Apparently, everyone loved mine. Ego hiiiiiiiigghhhh~**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Five Months (Redone)**_

_Chapter Eight_

Now, the practice had been fine. It'd actually been fun, exciting.

The real life had me feeling like I was going to die.

I trekked behind Naruto, who followed Sakura, settling behind another, closer rock. I guess we all mutually agreed she was the leader we'd follow while Yamato, disguised, headed to the bridge. Nerves had been with me since I'd woken, and they only intensified as Sai checked the area and Yamato transformed. However, he'd done a very good opera impression, so there was that.

The wind had picked up even more, now. Thankfully, I'd thought and put my hair up.

That was when someone else appeared across the way, blue cape flapping wildly in the wind. Naruto and Sakura tensed up, leaning forward to try and see who this person was. The figure paused in front of Yamato on the bridge, turning his head away from the wind.

With one jerk of his hand, the culprit was revealed. And, of course, I had no clue who he was.

Naruto and Sakura seemed to have a pretty good idea, though, and gasped, "Kabuto!"

_I now know his name. That's a plus._

We tried to listen in on the conversation going on. I flinched anytime someone moved, expecting the signal to be given.

After the fifth time, Naruto glanced at me. "Could you stop? It's making me more impatient."

"S-Sorry."

Sakura let out a sigh from Naruto's other side and I shifted nervously. God, this was the worst part. The waiting.

Minutes went by, and all I could hear was Naruto cursing, Sakura scolding, and my own heartbeat. The boy beside me was getting agitated now, looking like he'd jump out there any second, regardless or not of a signal.

A sharp reflective light caught my attention, forcing me into looking at the scene. Yamato'd finally made his move, holy shit. My muscles coiled up but then something happened, and suddenly Kabuto was wrapped in tight rope.

Had Yamato set a trap? I peered closer, narrowing my eyes and getting enough focus to realize that those were, well, snakes.

Odd choice. I was a bit creeped out now.

Sakura gasped and I could almost hear Naruto's teeth cracking with how hard he was gritting them. So they didn't much care for snakes either, hm?

A sudden rustle of fabric rang out and Kabuto left, jumping upwards from the trap and leaving his cloak there. Aww, man.

That's when I saw the other man and realized I was an idiot. He stepped forward, long black hair laying down his back. His pale hands rose, guiding his two still-creepy snakes into his shirt. They stood there, seemingly staring each other down, until Kabuto moved suddenly. I was innocently thinking about how awesome that we would get two guys for one when Yamato's head came off.

Or, should I say, the disguise's. Still, I flinched, my breath coming at a standstill. I didn't even know what to think. I swear, I almost cried when Yamato reappeared. This was a lot worse than I'd anticipated. This was… well, it was very possible I was going to die.

We were all on edge when the signal was given and leapt into bright, blinding sunlight. The wind howled more freely out in the open. The other three landed in front of us, with me right beside Yamato. Up close, the silver-haired man struck me as nothing special. His glasses were a bit crooked, but nothing else really jumped out.

Now, the pale-skinned man sent alarm bells. He was just… _off._ Like he would kill someone if they made him a little mad. Not to mention he also had two snakes in his shirt and when he spoke, he sounded like he'd been smoking a pack a day for a few good years.

His eyes were on Sakura when the words escaped. "A face I've seen many times."

The amber irises flicked to me and away in moments, but just that made me more sure I was dead. Naruto, in front of me, was trembling now. Sai hadn't moved an inch, and Sakura was flat-out glaring.

God dammit, they were braver than me. I had to get some more confidence.

After a few deep breaths and not looking the man- probably this Orochimaru character- my pulse slowed to a somewhat healthy rate. I focused on the supposed spy and listened as he explained he had been released from the jutsu, and now worked under Orochimaru as an assistant.

"Ah, but my, has Sasuke-kun grown," purred Orochimaru lowly. Naruto tensed up, his shoulders tightening with rage.

"Soon, he will be ready to become my next vessel," snickered the man quietly. That seemed to do it for Naruto, whose body was beginning to get enveloped in… Wait, that the hell _was _that?

Red and ever-moving, it bubbled and expanded. I actually slid over a bit, pretty damn sure this was out of the ordinary.

"Don't you ever… talk about Sasuke… _like you own him!_"

Oh Lord. Was this actually Naruto?

Before I could say anything to him, fruitlessly ask if he was alright or something, he burst forward, towards Orochimaru. When I fathomed that in his place, there was nothing but a big hole of wood, the man was gone, probably somewhere into next week.

Thankfully, the others looked just as bewildered as I felt. Yamato cursed and Sakura rose, Sai following suit. Naruto was where Orochimaru had been, the red aura surrounding him and trembles plaguing his body. His head snapped to Kabuto and he let out a half-human, half-animal scream.

Yeah, forget it. I was fucking dead. Killed by Naruto, too, what a terrible fate.

Then the figure appeared, even though it should have probably stayed wherever it had landed. Naruto wasted no time, though, and this round the bridge didn't hold. One of the tail-like things the chakra had formed whipped Kabuto back as the boy jumped. The bridge snapped like a toothpick, and I lost my balance, gripping the sides of the bridge so I didn't fall off. Sakura let out a squeak of pain to my left.

The bridge jolted again, tilting downwards. I got myself on somewhat stable ground and glanced at everyone else. Yamato was doing fine, but my gaze stopped on Sakura, who was unconscious and sliding down. Oh, come on! When did that happen?!

Her body was almost to the edge by now, and Sai was busy doing something else, hell if I knew.

"Oh, fuck."

I made a split-second decision and threw myself at the girl, sliding towards her as her body began to fall. I would've been proud to say that I caught her and pulled her to safety, but I missed by a second.

"Shit, shit, _shit._"

That's when Sai said his jutsu's name and, with a fresh burst of air, took of and dived down on a bird.

I adjusted myself, pulling myself up more and trying to see Sakura. If she died, I'd be guilty for the rest of my goddamned life. Sai reappeared right in front of me, making me sigh in innocent relief…

Before I noticed he definitely had a lack of Sakura. He didn't wait another second and his bird headed towards the trees on the other side of the bridge. I glanced around, catching Yamato's somewhat horrified expression.

What in the hell was going on?

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><p><strong> *Ends chapter there because I'm the worst* XD<strong>

** Hello again sweeties. Not much to say here except I hope you're enjoying! Also, I got my mom into Naruto after years of trying. Props to me! And Lindsey Stirling's music gives me life.**

** Have a great day!**


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